Welcome to the live blog of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series. The Houston Astros are two wins away from the World Series, and the New York Yankees are a win away from a nearly insurmountable challenge.
The good news for the Yankees if they lose is that a team has come back from a 3-0 deficit in the ALCS before. The bad news with that is, well ... let’s just move on.
CC Sabathia is on the mound for the Yankees, and Not Justin Verlander — known to his family and friends as Charlie Morton — will start for the Astros. The Yankee Stadium crowd was plenty boisterous for Game 3 of the ALDS, when the Yankees were down 0-2 to the Indians, and I would expect the same throaty goodness for this game.
As always, if you want to read from the beginning, scroll down and read from the bottom, and refresh often! And click on ads. Refresh and click on ads.
11:35 p.m. ET — It’s over. Sweet mercy, it’s over. The Astros scored a run in the ninth — don’t ask me how, I was in Photoshop — but Jose Altuve grounded into a double play with the bases loaded and one out to end the game.
The Yankees won a game that was practically a must-win, and they’re down 2-1 in this series. Considering that the Astros have scored five runs in 27 innings, I’m not sure if they should feel disgruntled, or if they should feel elated that they took a game.
They should probably feel elated.
11:29 p.m. ET — I guess the best part of a blowout is all the free time.
11:11 p.m. ET — We’ll remember Jose Altuve fondly. He really seemed to love baseball, and we’ll miss him.
10:59 p.m. ET — Astros hits in this series, by player:
- Jose Altuve (5)
- Carlos Correa (4)
- Yuli Gurriel (2)
- Alex Bregman (2)
- George Springer (1)
They’ve played 25 innings in the ALCS so far, and that list seems less than ideal.
10:41 p.m. ET — Runs scored the Astros so far in the ALCS: 4
Runs scored by the Yankees in the fourth inning of Game 3: 5
The Yankees are still going to trail in this series, but it’s definitely worth pointing out that they’ve shut down a very fearsome lineup in three straight games. I’m not sure if it’s the pitchers executing well, brilliant advance scouting, or just one of those things, but it’s been impressive.
10:27 p.m. ET — CC Sabathia is likely out of the game, having thrown 99 pitches, and his line looks like this: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 5 K. He allowed one baserunner fewer than Charlie Morton, but it’s all about the sequencing, my friends.
That was the most pitches Sabathia has thrown since August, and he picked a fine time to do it. The Yankees are still up, 8-0, and Collin McHugh is busy proving his worth as a long reliever.
10:07 p.m. ET — Ha ha, my editors wanted me to let you all know that was a joke and I’m still very committed to this live blog, even though the score is 8-0 in the fifth or sixth inning.
10:06 p.m. ET — I’m just playing Super Metroid at this point.
9:50 p.m. ET — Aaaaaand we have a laugher on our hands. Aaron Judge hit a three-run home run just over the left field wall, and the Yankees lead, 8-0.
ALLLLLL RISE. AARON JUDGE GONE!
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 17, 2017
The @Yankees take the 8-0 lead. https://t.co/6lDEIfzX58
All of the Yankees’ runs scored with two outs.
All of the Yankees’ runs scored after a two-out infield single.
That’s not to say the Yankees don’t serve to be winning. But it’s a little weird to see them winning by this much. Although, if we’re being honest, Will Harris missed some locations in the inning that deserved to be hit 400 feet. Baseball’s a weird sport.
The Astros are still two wins away from the World Series, but the Yankees have a whole lot more hope than they did a couple hours ago.
9:42 p.m. ET — Look, I’m not rooting for anyone here, and I’m excited to watch both teams. But the Yankees just got an infield hit that led to their fourth run, and I’m upset on behalf of Astros fans.
Greg Bird (crag burt) hit the double that Cameron Maybin thought was covered in spiders (see below), and he moved to third on a sac fly. Todd Frazier walked to put runners on first and third, and with two outs, Chase Headley chopped a ball up the middle that Altuve got to, but couldn’t do anything with.
Morton is out of the game, allowing five runs in 3⅔ innings. He deserved maybe — maybe — one of those runs. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the BABIPdook treat a starting pitcher this unfairly.
It’s not just me, either. The computers think the same thing.
Charlie Morton gave up 6 hits tonight. One was a bunt. Hit probabilities of the rest:
— Andrew Simon (@AndrewSimonMLB) October 17, 2017
70% single
55% HR
12% single
10% single
4% double
9:29 p.m. ET — Meanwhile, Cameron Maybin, former ace center fielder who was once traded for a young Miguel Cabrera because of his tools, just did ... something.
— Sung Min Kim (@sung_minkim) October 17, 2017
Video will be coming soon, I’m sure, but it looked like Maybin thought the left field fence was about 30 feet closer than it actually was. I wasn’t the only one who thought this.
That ball almost hit Maybin in the foot
— Brett Anderson (@BAnderson3737) October 17, 2017
That play by Cameron Maybin looked pretty bad live and like 25 times worse on replay.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 17, 2017
It was one of the odder plays I’ve seen all year from any defender. It’s far too easy for me to criticize because I wasn’t the dude trying to find a small white orb in the sky as 40,000 people screamed at me, but I absolutely can’t figure this one out. We’ll see if the leadoff double costs the Astros.
9:24 p.m. ET — Aaron Judge is a large hippogriff who can open any jar of pickles you put in front of him, but he’s also more athletic than you might think:
AARON JUDGE! WHAT A CATCH!
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 17, 2017
Is the wall OK? https://t.co/DF3jWw9KS1
This was two of my favorite things: a brilliant catch, and an example of why mid-inning interviews need to be buried in a time capsule and made fun of when they’re unearthed. The Yankees still lead, 3-0, and at least a small part of that has to do with Aaron Judge’s underrated athleticism.
9:16 p.m. ET — We have replay controversy! Oh, how the good folks around the world like replay controversy. This one involves Jose Altuve making a brilliant play and Marwin Gonzalez’s foot possibly coming off the bag.
Gran jugada de José Altuve. #EarnHistory pic.twitter.com/M7XwmVRA5c
— #PRSeLevanta (@renucho) October 17, 2017
Do I call Didi Gregorius out because I’m so enamored of the play? Yes, but that’s because I would be a horribly inept and unfair umpire. Should the replay officials have called him out? Hard to get that that from the video.
The overturned call makes me think that MLB has a secret camera or sensors or ... look, I’m not even being sarcastic. They have an angle that we don’t, and Jose Altuve is a danged warlock. I’m okay with all of this.
The Yankees’ rally ended shortly after that. Is that the call that put the Astros into the World Series? We’ll never know.
9:06 p.m. ET — The Astros watched the Yankees’ two-out rally and had ideas. After the first two batters retired, George Springer drew a walk, which was followed by an Alex Bregman single. Jose Altuve drew a walk — which might have lowered his postseason OBP -- and brought the mighty Carlos Correa to the plate.
Correa popped up. The first fastball gave him ideas. The second fastball was perfectly placed.
The Yankees lead, 3-0, and I’m still in disbelief at Todd Frazier’s home run.
8:52 p.m. ET — The Yankees have three hits off Charlie Morton, and they went like this:
- Bunt single
- Infield hit
- Bloop hit over the shortstop and in front of the center fielder
The last two put runners on first and second with two outs for Todd Frazier, who drove a line drive to right field, where Josh Reddick ambled back and WHAT IN THE HELL WHY IS THERE A FENCE HERE?
It was, perhaps, the most new Yankee Stadium home run I’ve ever seen. As someone who watched close to 162 Giants games this year, I’m absolutely shaken to my core. Why does he get to touch all of the bases? What Byzantine technicality is this?
For real, though, it might not have been a home run at Coors Field. Frazier hit the ball to the opposite field with one hand.
THE TODDFATHER! GONE!
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 17, 2017
The @Yankees take the 3-0 lead in the 2nd. https://t.co/pmB4WqpiY1
Come on.
COME ON.
Update: COME ONNNNNNN
This swing ended in a home run. pic.twitter.com/p9cZ3szMWe
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 17, 2017
It’s not unfair, considering the Astros can do it too. It’s just weird. Yankee Stadium needs a humidor for a 100-square-foot patch in right field, imo.
The larger point is that Morton deserved exactly none of that. I’ve used my William Munny quotes up for the year, but you can use it if you want.
8:35 p.m. ET — This makes me feel substantially better about my last update.
Something's changed about Charlie Morton, but I just can't put my finger on it. pic.twitter.com/GT6Hnt7BCc
— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) October 17, 2017
8:23 p.m. ET — The baseball writer surveys the baseball game he is paid to watch and summons his vast repertoire of knowledge to make a salient point with perfect timing.
so, like, when did charlie morton start throwing 99 mph with movement?
The baseball writer leans back in his chair and takes a puff off his ornate rosewood pipe. Nailed it, friend. Absolutely nailed it.
Meanwhile, Didi Gregorius a) laid down one of the most beautiful bunt singles you’ll ever see, and b) was picked off when physics made him get stuck in the dirt while he dove back to the bag. Look, I don’t know how else to explain it, but I’m looking for some video.
It’s 0-0 after one inning.
8:13 p.m. ET — Look, I can’t watch a Sabathia start without thinking about this GIF, and I want to drag you down with me.
Has it been five years already? Time flies.
Meanwhile, Sabathia looks like he’s dealing, striking out Alex Bregman for the second out and getting Jose Altuve to wave through a slider for the third out. The renaissance of Sabathia over the last two years has been one of the more underrated baseball stories.
It certainly didn’t happen for Barry Zito, he mumbled under his breath.
8:10 p.m. ET — And we’re off! This ga
George Springer grounded out on the first pitch before I could finish that sentence. I forgot what I was going to write, so it’s probably for the best.